The Best Vegan Fishless Tacos with Crispy Tofu, Nori Cabbage & Carrot Slaw, and Cashew Cream Remoulade

The best vegan “fish” tacos, made with baked crispy tofu, cabbage/carrot/nori slaw, & a creamy cashew-based remoulade! Inspired by Baja-style tacos but completely vegan - packed with so many delicious flavors that even omnivores won’t miss the fish! They’re incredibly delicious and even though they taste indulgent, they’re made with wholesome, healthy ingredients! 

Tacos are a household staple that make very frequent appearances around here. Warm and sunny weather? Tacos. Celebrating something? Tacos. Need a pick-me up? Tacos. Gloomy weather? Tacos. Don’t know what to make? Tacos. Want to whip up something super flavorful but keep the cooking simple? Tacos. Feeling inspired or uninspired? TACOS. You get the point - there’s never an occasion when tacos aren’t appropriate. Especially when served alongside some guac and a Marg or two. 😉

Remain calm, but these are about to be the best fish-style tacos you’ve ever eaten. Made with just three components - crispy baked tofu, red cabbage/carrot/nori slaw, and a cashew-based remoulade sauce - these tacos are super tasty, flavor-packed, and even incorporate that fishy element while being 100% vegan! The nori slaw & tartar-y remoulade sauce mimic the ocean flavors found in Baja-style tacos, and the panko & coconut-coated breading give the  tofu sticks that perfect crispy texture.

Oh, and they’re quite healthy, too. Baked (not fried), made with unprocessed or minimally processed wholesome ingredients, and most importantly, incredibly delicious. 

Taco Components

Crispy Tofu

Tofu is basically a protein-packed blank slate that can be transformed into anything. In this taco, firm tofu pieces are dipped in a simple beer batter made with Mexican lager, all-purpose flour, and some spices. The battered tofu is then coated in a mix of panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut that forms a crispy exterior when baked. 🤤For the optimal texture, spray a bit of oil onto the coated tofu pieces before baking (optional - feel free to skip this if avoiding oil.)

Red Cabbage, Carrot, and Nori Slaw

This slaw adds freshness and incorporates ocean-y flavors into the taco! It’s made primarily with red cabbage (aka the far more flavorful, superior, and antioxidant-packed cousin of the very boring green cabbage - not sorry 🤷‍♀️) mixed with carrots, chopped cilantro to make it herby, and dressed with freshly squeezed lime juice for brightness, plus salt & pepper. And since this isn’t your average slaw, bits of torn nori add an ocean-y component that give this taco its “fishy” element! 

Cashew Cream Remoulade

Remoulade is traditionally a mayo-based white sauce that is flavored with various add-ins like spices, mustard, and/or pickled items (like capers or pickles), depending on the local cuisine where it’s made! Remoulade slightly resembles tartar sauce, so it pairs particularly well with fish-y/seafood-y inspired dishes. 

For my take on the remoulade, I swap out the traditional vegan mayo for a cashew-cream base. Cashews are (unsurprisingly) far more nutritious than mayo (which is primarily made of oil!) and with the help of a high-powered blender and a bit of water, they’re transformed into the most luscious cream sauce within seconds (ok, more like a minute). Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar add tanginess to mimic the traditional mayo-based remoulades. To dress it up, I added in whole grain mustard, briny capers and dill pickles, and a hint of cayenne for color/spice. (My remoulade add-ins were inspired by/adapted from Bryant Terry’s incredible remoulade from his vegan po’boy sandwich). 

The result is a silky cashew-based remoulade sauce that adds tartar-y notes and, quite frankly, ties the entire taco together. 🤤 All the components in this taco are amazing, but I think the cashew remoulade is the MVP. 😉

Substitution Options

For the Mexican lager: While the beer gives the batter a fluffier texture from the carbonation, you can substitute it with your favorite plant milk if avoiding alcohol. I tested this batter using oat milk and although I slightly preferred the beer batter, both versions were delicious and even when compared side by side, the difference was just barely noticeable. 

For the high-powered blender/cashew cream: You need a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix) to make a smooth cashew cream. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it - less powerful blenders just won’t fully transform the cashews into a completely smooth cream sauce, no matter how long you blend them for. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can substitute 1 cup of vegan mayo for the soaked cashews but leave out the water and apple cider vinegar, and only add in just 1-2 tablespoon of lemon juice (taste and adjust) - keeping the remainder of the ingredients the same. Since there’s no need to blend anything, you can mix all the ingredients directly into a medium bowl. 

Leftovers - What Keeps and What Doesn’t

Leftover cashew cream remoulade will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. It will thicken up quite a bit, so mix in a bit of water to thin out the leftover remoulade before serving. One batch of the cashew cream remoulade makes more than you’ll use for 12 tacos (even if you like your tacos with 2-3x the average amount of sauce, like I do 😂) but you can repurpose the leftover remoulade in a sandwich, on a bowl, as a dipping sauce, etc.! 

The tofu and slaw don’t keep well as leftovers, so I don’t recommend making the full batch of 12 tacos if you don’t plan on eating them immediately. Instead, make a half batch of the tofu and slaw (yields 6 tacos), which is roughly enough to serve 2 people. Do still make a full batch of the cashew cream remoulade (you won’t have enough contents to blend the cream if you cut it in half!) and store the leftovers in the fridge. This way, the leftover remoulade will already be ready to drizzle onto the second half batches of crispy tofu and slaw!

Vegan Fishless Tacos with Crispy Tofu, Nori Cabbage & Carrot Slaw, and Cashew Cream Remoulade

Vegan
Makes 12 tacos

Ingredients

Crispy Tofu

• 1 lb block firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and patted dry

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt OR ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

• A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper 

• ½ cup Mexican lager beer like Modelo (sub plant milk like oat or almond if avoiding alcohol), plus more to thin (if needed)

• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (check the ingredients to make sure they’re vegan!)

• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

• Spray oil, such as avocado or olive oil (optional)

Cabbage, Carrot, and Nori Slaw

• 4 cups red cabbage, finely sliced or shredded

• 1 cup shredded carrots (from about 1-1.5 medium carrots)

• 1 cup cilantro (lightly packed), chopped

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

• 1 full sheet nori, crumpled/torn into small pieces

Cashew Cream Remoulade

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for 8 hours or in boiling water for 1 hour

• ½ cup water

• 2.5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper 

• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

• 2 tablespoons dill pickles, finely diced

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained

For serving:

• 12 soft corn tortillas 

Directions

For the Crispy Tofu:

1. Press the tofu: To press the tofu without a tofu press, place the tofu block on a large plate. Top the tofu with another large plate and place something heavy, such as a cast iron skillet or ceramic bowl, on top of the second plate to weigh down the tofu and drain out its excess water. (But be careful! As the tofu drains, the heavy item can shift and could tumble over! I recommend doing this somewhere you can stabilize the weight, like against the corner of two walls.) After 30 minutes, discard excess water and pat the tofu dry. 

2. Meanwhile, place a rack in the bottom third of your oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

3. Make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and smoked paprika. Add ½ cup of beer (or dairy-free milk) and whisk together, until no clumps remain, to form a batter. If the batter seems too thick, add in a splash or two more of beer and mix in to thin.

4. Mix the breading: On a large plate, mix together the panko breadcrumbs and shredded coconut. 

5. Cut the tofu into 12 long pieces: Place the tofu block on a cutting board. Slice the width of the tofu block into thirds. Then, slice each block lengthwise into 4 pieces. This will yield 12 long tofu pieces. 

6. Working in batches, dip the tofu pieces into the batter. Place the battered tofu onto the panko/coconut mixture and toss to coat on all sides. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet. 

7. Spray the prepared tofu with oil (optional, but recommended for the ideal crispy texture). Transfer the baking sheet to a rack in the bottom third of your oven and bake until the tofu pieces are golden and crispy, about 20-25 minutes. 

For the Cabbage, Carrot, and Nori Slaw:

1. Add all the slaw ingredients except the nori to a large bowl and toss to combine. Then, add in the torn nori pieces and toss to combine again. 

For the Cashew Cream Remoulade: 

1. Add the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to a high-powered blender and blend on high to combine until smooth and creamy, about 45-60 seconds. 

2. Transfer the cashew cream to a medium bowl and mix in the whole grain mustard, chopped pickles, and drained capers to make the remoulade. 

To Assemble: 

1. Warm your tortillas in a cast iron skillet or over an open flame. Transfer the warmed tortillas to a clean kitchen towel and fold over to keep warm.

2. To assemble, add some slaw and a piece of crispy tofu onto each tortilla and generously drizzle some remoulade to top. Serve immediately. 
   

If you make these tacos, please leave a comment below to let me know how you liked them and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) so I can see your recreations!